District Administrative Policy on Inclement Weather Procedures

Decision-Making

District personnel will be in contact with the S.C. Dept. of Transportation, weather officials, local law enforcement and the S.C. Highway Patrol to monitor weather conditions. Once information has been shared, district officials will make the decision to open, close early, cancel school or have a delayed opening.

Safety First

Parents are encouraged to have a plan in place if school closes early or is delayed. The plan should avoid leaving young children at home unsupervised. It is also the responsibility of parents and employees to determine if conditions are safe enough to travel to school or work along their commuting route. If school is held in inclement weather and parents decide to keep their child at home, the absence will be excused. If school is on a delayed schedule and parents must drop off their children before school is scheduled to begin, parents must accompany their child into the building to ensure that the school is open and supervision is available.

Early Dismissal

■If a decision is made to close early, telephone calls will be made to individual schools by district office personnel and announcements will not be made to students and staff.

■Parents/guardians will be notified via the district's phone system, and the district will post information on the district's website(www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us), on Facebook, Twitter and the Rock Hill Schools mobile app.

■Afternoon and evening classes, programs such as Challenger/Phoenix/Adult Education, extracurricular activities, and sports practices or games will ot be held.

■School employees will be dismissed at the discretion of the principal. However, principals will need the help of employees to provide for adequate supervision of students left at school until theyu are released to their parents/guardians.

■Twelve-month employees will be expected to remain at work until dismissed by their supervisor.

Cancellation of School

■A decision will be made by 4:30 a.m. Parents and employees will receive an electronic telephone message, beginning at 5:00 a.m.

■When possible, decisions will be made the evening before to allow parents and employees as much advance notice as possible.

Notification will include an electronic telephone message.

■Parents and employees will also be notified through the district's website (www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us) and on Facebook, Twitter and the Rock Hill Schools mobile app.

■Local news media, such as Cable News 2, Rock Hill radio station WRHI, and Charlotte television stations WBTV (Channel 3), WSOC (Channel 9), WCCB (Channel 18) and SCNS (Channel 36) will be notified.

Delayed Opening

■When the decision is made to delay the opening time for school, the district will use the same channels of communication in notifying

parents and employees as in the "Cancellation of School."

■Morning sessions for 3-year-olds at The Children's School, for 4-year-olds at the Central CDC and the Applied Technology Center, and family literacy classes at ParentSmart will not be held.

■Breakfast may or may not be served, but lunch will be provided.

■Employees will be expected to arrive at school at the usual but safest time. Some parents will bring their children early, and administrators will need assistance from their staff in providing supervision as theyu arrive.

■Non-certified salaried employees must make up time missed, or they must charge time missed to personal or vacation leave, if available. A minimum of two hours will be deducted.

■Non-certified hourly paid employees may make up time missed due to a delayed opening within the same work week at the direction of their supervisor.

Making Up Time Missed for Students and Staff

■Make-up dates are listed on the district's master calendar which can be located on the district's website.

■Teachers and other district staff should refer to Board Policy EBCE “School Closings and Cancellations” and the administrative rule EBCE-R in regard to making up time missed.

Updated January 2016 / Communications Department